Improving the performance of fuzzy classifier systems for pattern classification problems with continuous attributes

In this paper, various methods are introduced for improving the ability of fuzzy classifier systems to automatically generate fuzzy if-then rules for pattern classification problems with continuous attributes. First, we describe a simple fuzzy classifier system where a randomly generated initial population of fuzzy if-then rules Is evolved by typical genetic operations, such as selection, crossover, and mutation. By computer simulations on a real-world pattern classification problem with many continuous attributes, we show that the search ability of such a simple fuzzy classifier system is not high. Next, we examine the search ability of a hybrid algorithm where a learning procedure of fuzzy if-then rules is combined with the fuzzy classifier system. Then, we introduce two heuristic procedures for improving the performance of the fuzzy classifier system. One is a heuristic rule generation procedure for an initial population where initial fuzzy if-then rules are directly generated from training patterns. The other is a heuristic population update procedure where new fuzzy if-then rules are generated from misclassified and rejected training patterns, as well as from existing fuzzy if-then rules by genetic operations. By computer simulations, we demonstrate that these two heuristic procedures drastically improve the search ability of the fuzzy classifier system. We also examine a variant of the fuzzy classifier system where the population size (i.e., the number of fuzzy if-then rules) varies depending on the classification performance of fuzzy if-then rules in the current population. Finally, the generalization ability of the fuzzy classifier system for test data is evaluated by computer simulations on a real-world pattern classification problem with both continuous and discrete attributes.